TOKYO -- Nissan Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta will not be reappointed to the automaker's board when his term expires next month, casting doubt on the future of the high-profile executive who had been seen in the running for CEO.
The departure from the board of directors of the former long-time Renault executive comes as Nissan is working to finalize the terms of a sweeping reset of its decades-old alliance with the French car maker by mid-year.
Gupta joined Nissan's leadership team in late 2019, when Japan's No. 3 automaker was looking to put an end to a period of turmoil triggered by the arrest and sacking of long-time leader Carlos Ghosn.
Allies of Gupta pressed the board in 2020 to promote him to the role of co-CEO, hoping he would drive the company's turnaround and improve its relationship with long-term alliance partner Renault, but the promotion did not materialize.
Nissan said on Friday that Gupta would step down from the board of directors on June 27. A company spokesperson said it was not immediately clear whether he will be staying on in his role as COO.
On Thursday, Nissan, forecast a better than expected 38 percent rise in profit this year on stronger sales.
Gupta joined Renault in India in 2006 and later became vice president in charge of its global commercial vehicle business, a job he held until 2019 when he joined the alliance's junior partner Mitsubishi Motors.
Nissan and Renault agreed in January to remake their two-decade-old alliance, with Renault reducing its stake in Nissan to 15 percent from about 43 percent to put them on equal footing.
